The giving hand

Once upon a time, there was a dog, I will speak about it like if it was a man, and I guess you will understand why at the end of the story.

Well, his name was Soul, he was a smart dog, although being homeless, he was handy, that means that he was always finding something to eat, and I am not referring to bones, he had already went through that stage of his life, meat was the cheapest meal he could had then, his favorite food was fish, and not that little one, red fish, one of the most expensive sorts of fish, and maybe it was his favorite because it was rare, and that is also how we are, we like things we cannot afford, not because anything but it is hard to reach that, it becomes more interesting, the road until you get it is a whole adventure.

Well, it was not easy at all at first, he was a dog after all, not every single human like dogs, in addition there were already some dogs who were ruling the road, he had somehow to reach them, although by that time he didn’t think about this thing, every single thing came naturally.

One day he had the luck to find a few slices of bread in some bags of garbage, he then started to eat, a little dog looked at him and though about requesting some, the little one started to think about the way it will ask him, before asking, he was asked if  want some, it was not hard to give, nor to ask, but to give before asking, that’s a thing, not for the one who gives, but for the one who is about to ask. 

That’s because asking makes you feel inferior, while giving before asking makes the other feel that you are superior, not only for him but for the whole humanity, not because the action is great, but because there are not many creatures who would do that thing, so that was Soul’s first step towards success, to help means to be helped, not by the person you help but by the world, the thing is just not to expect a single thing, because expecting imply waiting, and waiting is among things creatures do not like.

After a few times in which Soul helped many other dogs he became renowned and named the dog of the street, he had dogs everywhere, he could know every information about food or about a place where a lost dog could stay,

After that he became the dog of the neighborhood, it was not something official, but he knew his value and the others opinion was very important for him, but only in other cases.

Dogs always came to him asking for help, but as they came, they found what they were looking for and then went elsewhere, there was one exception.

One rainy day, a little dog came to him, asking for a place to stay for a short period of time, and like every time, what would you think he said?

Of course, he will help.

This little one did not have a name, after a few times our hero started to call it friend, after another few times they became “garbage mates” so its nickname was mate.

Everything was going great for Mate, even for Soul, even if he was happy to have food and a great place to sleep, some soul issues were inside of him, like an empty place which somehow was fulfilled by Mate, he was afraid of loneliness, this is how it works when you get succeeded, materially speaking, you start to concentrate on conditions, and forget the important things, and why is that?, well, society oblige us to dedicate a big amount of our time to win our existence, and simply accepting that empty place because it seems we don’t need it, it seems like an unnecessary stuff, but be realize it after reaching 60 years when we have enough time to think about important things.

We don’t have to forget why we are living, if you ask anyone to choose between love or career in the case this person wasn’t disappointed, he will choose love, that’s what the soul needs, some trust.

Well, Soul’s situation was better than that, he fed his soul with the help he could give other dogs, without any expectation, because he knew that it is not about how much you can take, but about how much you can give.

While these two were walking down a street, Mate started to play with Soul’s mind and said that he had reached the top in that zone, and it is time to move forward to something even bigger, it was the time to occupy a new zone.

Soul was not convinced that this was the greatest idea at that moment, he felt like staying the place he was there, but Soul always gave priority to what makes other dogs happier, that thing was fulfilling  a part of his soul.

So they started their journey, Mate was full of adrenaline, while Soul was thinking about tactics and ways to figure this out.

It was very hard for him, he missed the dogs he saved or helped or any dog there, he was feeling like a soldier after being a general.

If they had found meat they were lucky.

One day they decided to take different paths so that they could find food easier and quicker.

The first days, Soul was the one who brought food for both of them, it was normal that Mate was not experienced enough, Soul was eating bread while Mate had always some meat in front.

But Soul did not complain, at all, he was filling his belly by looking at his mate eating, even if some days he had not anything to eat, he even did not tell his friend.

One of those days came, Soul was ill while Mate was searching for food, and it became sort of friend with some dogs there, they gave it food and attention, it was very hungry, after returning to its home, it found Soul on the floor and a tear was quitting his right eye, he started to think about everything in his life, about the family in which he stayed the first year of his existence, about the way he had been left behind, and put in a cage, about his escape,about his glory, about his friends..he smiled, he knew he was a hero although the hard times he got, and that was the most important thing for him.

He knew the end is near, Mate went rapidly to bring him some food, but until he had returned, Soul’s soul was already in the sky.

Mate started to cry, it felt so sorry for his mate, it was a normal dog, Soul always remained in a corner in Mate’s heart, isolated and cold.

After some weeks, Mate became a known member of that zone, and he was helped by everyone, while Soul was forgotten in Mate’s zone, he became an idol into his zone.

Who do you think has died?

Well, to be a soulmate you have to have a great soul but also to be a good mate, a thing which existed in Soul, like it exists in specific humans that is why he is a he, while mate was just a mate